When the chandelier falls
by FragilePuzzle
Summary: The children of Wammy's go to see a ballet, and things go awry when the audience is held hostage by a mysterious killer that seems to be looking for Near. Will Mello and Near be able to save the audience, and themselves, in time? MxN, onesided BBxN/BBxL.
1. The wheels on the bus

Enjoy! A new fic that (as usual) features the Wammy kids. My first attempt at writing mystery/suspense, so please don't kill me! *Gets shot* Rated T for language, sexual themes, murder, and a bit (coughcoughLOTS) of shounen-ai/ fluffy-ness. God, that sounded like something off of a videogame box. Let me know if you think the rating should change. R&R maybe?

~FragilePuzzle

"Nooooooooooooo!" Mello wailed, falling to the floor.

It was field trip day at Wammy's Orphanage, one of the most coveted days of the year. Rarely did the children ever get to leave the orphanage, so when they did, it was always fun. All of the children looked forward to the two large outings a year, sometimes planning up to a month ahead. However, their usual summer trip to the zoo had just been changed to going to see a famous ballet. Mello was not happy at all.

"Oh wow!" gushed Linda. "It should be so super-duper awesome!"

"Seeing a ballet might prove interesting," Near commented.

"Shut up cripple. It's just coz you don't even like walking," said Mello angrily.

When Near didn't say anything, Mello just continued to glare daggers at him. This field trip was going to suck. He didn't want to see girls flouncing around in tutus; he wanted to see man-eating lions and poisonous snakes that were 10 feet long. Apparently, they were going to see "The Phantom of the Opera." Bo-ring. Wasn't that supposed to be an OPERA anyways? Mello sighed and turned to his best friend, Matt, for support, but even the redhead seemed to be excited. Great, everyone was excited except for him.

He was still pouting when they were loading the children on to the bus. Roger had forbid him to bring any chocolate, as you weren't allowed to bring food into the performance hall, but Near got to bring his Optimus Prime robot and Matt got to bring his DS. It made him a little happier when he saw that Near was a bit put-off at only being allowed one toy, but his happiness was immediately destroyed when he discovered that he, Matt, and Near were the last to board the bus. The three of them were forced to cram into the only remaining seat, which was in the very back. Near was squished up against the window, Mello was in the middle (taking up 4/5 of the seat) and Matt was teetering dangerously on the edge of the seat, which was only meant for two people.

"Look, just scoot over a bit!" Matt complained. "There's, like, two feet of space separating you and Near!"

"NO!" yelled Mello. "I don't want to touch him!"

Mello gestured to Near, and Matt sighed. Mello went back to relaxing and having fantasies about things covered in chocolate, thinking Matt had given up. Suddenly, his daydreams took a turn for the worse. He started picturing a chocolate-covered Near. What the hell was wrong with him? He was snapped out of his crazy dream when Matt sideways-body-tackled him over, forcing him to move and making himself comfortable.

"You ASS!" Mello screeched, not unlike a banshee. "MOVE, before he gives me a DISEASE!"

Near ignored Mello's insults and obscene gestures, preferring to zoom his robot around with one hand, using the other to twirl a lock of his hair around his index finger. They hadn't even been on the bus five minutes of their four-hour journey, and Mello was going in-freakin-sane. The incessant beeping of Matt's games, combined with no chocolate, the summer heat, and coming into close, physical contact with Near was taking its toll on him. He snapped when Linda got everyone except he and Near, singing "The wheels on the bus."

Mello stood up, cracking his knuckles dangerously, and the singing instantly ceased.

"Better," he mumbled. "Now, Matt. Get your goddamn ass up and switch spots with me. Now."

The tone of his voice just dripped "murder," but still, Matt refused. He just shook his mop of bright red hair, not even glancing up from his videogame. Mello ground his teeth and gave Matt his best, "You're-in-for-it-later" looks.

"Mello, sit down immediately," Roger demanded.

"Freakin stupid old man," mumbled Mello, plopping back down.

Mello decided it was time for some entertainment. The "Torture Near" game sounded pretty promising, as Roger and tattletale-Linda were up at the front of the bus. Mello knew that Near never told on him, so as long as he wasn't spotted by one of those two, he would get away with it.

"Hey Neary-queery---" he said in a singsong voice.

Near ignored him, as usual, preferring to make louder "vroom" noises in an attempt to drown Mello's boisterous voice out.

"Near, don't ignore me!"

Near, of course, continued to ignore him, focusing solely on his robot. He decided to make himself think happy thoughts about how L had promised to buy some new toys next time he visited.

"…Ne-ar…"

Mello grabbed Near's chin and forced the younger of the two to look up at him. He pushed Near up against the bus's window and put his free hand up against the cool glass, preventing Near from escaping. His silvery-white bangs covered most of his eyes, but you could see one ash-gray one peeking out, observing Mello. Mello noticed that he was chewing on the inside of his lower lip apprehensively, but other than that, his pale face revealed no emotion. He just tried to halfheartedly struggle his way out of Mello's iron grip.

"I would appreciate it if Mello would release me."

"Didn't anyone teach you manners?" Mello whispered, bringing their faces closer together. "You should look at people when they're talking to you."

"Mello."

"Near…"

Mello grabbed one of Near's petite hands in his own, taking the younger by surprise. He pressed the semi-cold digits to his lips, very gently, but enough to cause Near to turn a pale shade of pink. Mello had never…done anything like this to him before. Wasn't this considered a sign of affection?

"Mels," said Matt, playfully slapping his blonde friend on the head. "Stop sexually harassing the poor boy!"

"Aww, Matty, you're no fuuuun!" Mello complained, doing his best full-on pout, crossing his arms and pursing his lips.

"Buuut, I can make it up to you," he said, handing the chocoholic some of his drug of choice. A partially-melted, German, milk chocolate bar.

"Mattykins, you shouldn't have!" Mello cooed, pretending to sound sincere. He snatched the bar out of Matt's hands, and wiped up some of the chocolate that was leaking out of the wrapper. He covered his index finger with the sticky mess, and began to slowly suck it off, savoring the flavor. He was so enthralled with his chocolate bar, that he didn't even notice Near had stopped playing with his robot entirely, seeming to prefer to watch Mello's finger slide leisurely in and out of his mouth. Matt however, had witnessed the whole spectacle of Near turning into a blushing doofus when Mello had kissed his hand. Suddenly, the third-best put two and two together before either of the others could.

"Oh my god," Matt sniggered. "Near, you thought he was serious, didn't you?"

Mello turned to face Near, his chocolate-covered finger still halfway in his mouth. He had a confused look on his face, so he turned to Matt to try and get him to clear things up. Matt however, was in a fit of muffled giggles.

"He was—he was—he turned pink when you kissed his hand!" Matt laughed.

"N-no I didn't!" Near protested, stuttering, much unlike his normal self. "It's the summer heat!"

This just caused Matt to laugh harder, knowing for a fact that his excuse was a lie.

"No, and then you were watching him eat the chocolate!"

"Eat the chocolate?" Mello asked, finally having sucked his finger clean.

"You know," said Matt, making the most overly sensual face possible. "Like…this."

He slowly swirled the tip of his finger around his lips and managed to push it in for a moment before falling prey to another fit of laughter.

"No, I didn't!" Near repeated.

"Did he?"

"Yeah, he did."

Hearing this, Mello smiled sadistically and looked back at Near. Near was twirling his hair with twice as much vigor as usual, clutching a leg to his chest. Mello actually saw him pull out a few fine strands, leaving them wrapped around his finger.

"Near, do you have your first crush?" Mello teased, his threatening smile growing wider.

"I do not know what Mello and Matt are speaking of," he said stubbornly.

Mello turned and kneeled on the seat, towering over Near. He lowered his face so they were at eye-level with each other, and he placed a hand on either side of Near's head, putting his palms flat up against the window. Near's head clunked painfully up against the window, but Mello paid no notice. He just moved his face so they were now nose-to-nose, also known as too-close-for-comfort, for Near that is.

"Near, tell me the truth!" Mello demanded.

"I don't know what Mello is referring to, he will have to be more specific."

Mello just pulled his head away, leaving a slightly nervous-looking Near to mull in his own thoughts. Meanwhile, Mello was going to come up with numerous ways to exploit Near's affection. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, telling him that taking advantage of Near's pure, unspoiled heart was cruel, but this was Near we were talking about. Mello's longtime, number one, eternal rival. He wouldn't feel bad about spoiling Near's first love, possibly breaking the little know-it-all in the process.

…Right?

It turns out; plotting against your mortal enemy was a good way to pass the time. It seemed like it had only been a few minutes since he had started coming up with plans, yet he couldn't find one that didn't make him feel like a total douche. Publicly rejecting him would be too mean, seducing him and breaking his heart would be also…it seemed like Mello's brain was getting eviler, or his heart was getting softer. Every plan he came up with just made him feel like an ass for trying to shatter Near's heart into a zillion little pieces. When he tried to explain this to Matt, he found he just couldn't. Maybe, the reason he felt so bad about it, was that he liked Near too? No. Way. He quickly dismissed the stupid thought, and got off of the bus, happy at being able to get off of the stuffy vehicle.

Mello ran around in the parking lot for a little while, chasing Matt (who was only playing because Roger took his DS away), until everyone was herded inside. Even Near stopped to marvel at the gorgeous architecture, but they didn't have much time, as they were already late. It turns out that L had gotten them all into a semi-private showing, which they were only allowed into because they were supposed to be geniuses. Roger had assured the theatre manager that the children would be on their best behavior, and they were quickly seated. The balconies and private boxes were off limits, as there were so few people there, only about 10 others, excluding the children, so they got front row seats. Mello admired the memory-foam seating, and he and Matt spent the whole first half of the production seeing who could make deeper butt-prints in their seat.

Intermission came quickly, and Roger asked if anyone had to go to the bathroom. Near raised his hand.

"Mello, please be Near's bathroom buddy. The building is very big, and I would not want Near getting lost."

"Roger, I highly doubt—"

Near was cut off by a look from Roger, and Mello knew he had no choice but to escort Near to the bathroom. Jeez, I mean, he was a 13-year-old genius, you'd think he would be able to find his way to the bathroom all right.

Woot, introductory chapter! Sorry if it's a little slow, but this SHOULD get better. It SHOULD. Peace! ;)

~FragilePuzzle


	2. Appearance of a backup

Yay, second chapter! ;) Enjoy! BTW: Sorry for the crappy quality. I'm really sick. *Cough*

---

Mello and Near had only just walked out of the performance hall when Mello began to complain. Of course, it was about Near.

"I mean, yeah, I know you're stupid, but still, you'd think you could find your way—"

Near began to tune him out, ignoring his usual insults and ranting. They made their way down the many winding halls, until they arrived at the restrooms. Mello practically dragged him in, shoving him in front of one of the urinals and telling him to hurry up, so they wouldn't be late. When Near didn't make any attempt to actually USE the urinal, Mello crossed his arms and began to tap his foot.

"Hurry up! As much as I hate it, I don't want to miss the ballet!"

"I prefer to use a stall," Near said calmly, twirling a piece of his hair.

Mello exhaled overdramatically and gestured towards the stalls. Near slowly walked over to them, and Mello noticed that Roger had forced him to put shoes on. They were all white (no surprise there) Nike high-tops, and he seemed to be very uncomfortable walking in them. His ankles wobbled a little with every step he took, and the sight made Mello smirk. Yet another insult he could use in his never-ending battle with Near.

After Near finished going to the bathroom, he came out of the stall and made his way over to the sink. He washed his hands methodically, singing the ABC's under his breath. He made sure to wash under every nail, get in between every finger, and he washed halfway up his forearm. When he had finally finished coating them with the soap, he rinsed them, making sure to get every last bubble, and rolled out two sheets of paper towels. He carefully dried his forearms and hands, using exactly one paper towel each. Once he was done, he just stood there, the damp paper towels still in hand.

"Mello, would you mind throwing these away for me?" he asked.

"Why should I?" snorted Mello, sizing up his rival.

"Touching trash cans is not something I particularly enjoy, and as you can see, you have to push the trash can lid open in order to dispose of something."

"Fine," Mello huffed, snatching the paper towels away. "God, you're such a weirdo!"

Near just looked at him with his trademark blank expression, along with the classic dead eyes. Mello glared at him, and just for a second, ice blue met gray. Just for a second, it seemed as if Near displayed some sort of emotion. But, as fast as that second came, it went. Mello rolled his eyes, and the two made their way back to the performance hall. However, when they arrived at the door and Mello attempted to enter, Near grabbed on to his arm and pulled him backwards.

"Wait," he whispered, putting his ear to the door.

"What now?" asked Mello.

"We are late, and the ballet should be continuing, but there is no sound."

"No sound? What's that supposed to mean?"

"There is usually music that accompanies the dancers, correct?"

Mello thought about it for a second, and then nodded. Come to think of it, he didn't hear anything—

"Well, well!" a voice boomed out, coming from inside the performance hall. "It seems you knew I would be here!"

"Who is th—"

Near slapped a hand over Mello's mouth, cutting him off, and held a finger over his lips, signaling for Mello to be quiet.

"Now, where is Nate River?" the voice yelled.

Mello continued to listen, but Near's arm dropped from Mello's mouth, and his eyes widened. He seemed to be stunned, and Mello didn't understand why.

"Who the hell is Nate River?" he asked.

"I-I… don't know," Near said unconvincingly.

"Whatever. Well, we have to go in there and see what's going on, right?"

"Right. No, wait! We can't go in there."

"What was THAT?" the voice yelled again. "Redheaded boy, what are you doing?!"

Mello and Near snapped their attention to the door, hearing "Redheaded boy," and knowing that Matt was the only redheaded boy in all of Wammy's. The two pressed their ears to the door, trying to hear as much as possible.

"Where's Mihael? He should know where Nate is!"

"Who's Mihael?" Near asked.

"Dunno," Mello whispered back.

"If SOMEBODY doesn't bring me Nate River, I'm going to blow this place sky-high! I've already rigged explosives that surround the entire building, and if I don't get what I want, you don't get out of here alive. Don't even try to get out the front doors— they're locked too."

"WHO is Nate Rivers?" Mello asked again.

Suddenly, a look of realization hit the blonde. His eyes widened, and he slapped a hand over his mouth, pointing an accusing finger at Near.

"You! You're Nate River!"

"Mello, be quiet!" Near whispered fiercely. "If we're caught, I'll get killed!"

"If you're not caught, we'll all get killed! I say we give you to him and get out of here alive!"

Near's expression didn't change, but he was hurting on the inside. Would Mello really give him to the person inside of the performance hall? Without so much as a second thought? Did he REALLY hate him that much?

"If anybody so much as moves a muscle, don't think I won't kill you all." The voice said. "If you won't tell me where Nate is, I'll go find him myself."

---

Somewhere else in the building

---

The glow of the computer monitors was the only thing that lit his face. He clicked the loudspeaker off, but continued to survey the feed that the hidden cameras were showing him. Everybody in the audience looked tense, but he could see that they were not destined to die today. Their lifespans were not ticking down close to the bottom, as they should be if he was not destined to find Nate, so he knew he would find the little boy.

His little dove wouldn't be able to fly away this time.

Cackling to himself, he grabbed the butcher's knife that was resting on the table, and slouched out of the room, explosive detonator in one hand, ready to press the button if needed. His Nate couldn't stay safe for long, even if little Mihael tried to protect him. You see, they might be L's new successors, but he was the original.

The carbon copy.

The spare.

The backup.

---

Back with Mello and Near

---

"Mihael."

"Nate."

Mello and Near, or rather, Mihael and Nate, stared at each other for a few moments. The two had just found out each other's names, one of the most taboo things in Wammy's, and it had been purely by accident. Near twirled a strand of hair around his finger, wondering what they should do next, and Mello just looked around nervously.

"I would suggest we take refuge somewhere, as the person who is holding the audience hostage is looking for both of us."

"No, he's looking for YOU. He only wants me to find out where you are," Mello said.

"Very true, Mello. However, would giving me to this…person…really be the right thing to do?"

"Yeah, because it would probably save the lives of everybody else."

"But Mello, we are L's successors. We should be able to find a common criminal like this easily, and also devise a way to put a stop to him."

"If he's such a common criminal, how does he know our names?"

"I have to admit, that I have not figured out. He could have hacked into Wammy's database—"

"Matt can barely hack in to Wammy's database. Besides, you have to use the computer AT Wammy's to get in. There's no way a common criminal would, or could, break into Wammy's, hack the database, find out our real names, and hold up this ballet."

"I suppose you are correct. However, we must find a safe place before we discuss things further."

The two then made their way over to the stairs, peeking around corners, and listening for any other sign of life besides themselves. They arrived on the second floor safely, then the third, then the fourth. Deciding it wasn't safe to go up onto the roof, they found a large, empty practice room. There were mirrors and ballet bars covering the wall, and the floor was made of oak. There were a few skylights, but no electric lights anywhere. Near locked the door behind them, and tried to devise a plan. As hard as he thought, he couldn't come up with anything. They didn't know the perpetrator's name, face, motive…they didn't know anything about him. Near wondered who could be looking for him. Surely, nobody he knew, as he hardly knew anybody outside of the orphanage. He decided that they needed to establish the facts.

"We know for certain that the perpetrator is male, as we heard his voice. He is— whether he is in the room or not— able to see what is going on in the main performance hall. He also knows our real names. How he knows them, I do not know," started Near.

"Have you ever told anyone your real name?" Mello asked.

Near just gave him a disbelieving look.

"The only people who know my name are L, Roger, and anyone who was able to hack into Wammy's database."

"Okay, same here. Well, except for Matt. He knows my name."

"I am not surprised. Anyway, I do not know who this person could be. I do not know anybody outside of the orphanage, excluding L and Watari, but I don't think they would hold the audience hostage."

"Right."

Near sat down on the floor, a knee going to his chest, a hand going to his hair, and he began to think. Wracking his brain for a possible solution, he came up with…

…The fact that he had no idea.

Feeling completely helpless, he thought as hard as he could, but he couldn't come up with anything. The harder he thought, the more dead ends he came to. Interrupting his thought process, a voice boomed out through the intercom.

"Nate…you can't hide forever…don't try and run, because I'll find you!"

With that threat, and a cackle, the intercom clicked off.

---

Oh noes! They've been held hostage…Betcha can't guess who the perpetrator is! Anyway, Near was singing the ABC's when he washed his hands, because that's how you know when you've washed your hands for long enough. I imagine he sang them veeeeeery slowly.

~FragilePuzzle


	3. You don't see me anymore

Hey, I'm not dead! Sorry it took so long. Thank you to all the people who read and support my stories…it means a lot to me! Anyway, has anyone guessed who the hostage-holder is? Congratulations if you guessed BB (he's almost always the bad guy in my stories…). Anyway, will B find his little dove? Read on to find out!

---

"Nate…you can't hide forever…don't try and run, because I'll find you!"

With that threat, and a cackle, the intercom clicked off.

Mello looked at Near, expecting to see the same, unemotional, non-disturbed face. However, what he saw was a lot different. Near was huddled up into his normal ball of white, but his eyes were open wider than normal, and he seemed to be shaking slightly. He was twirling his hair more rapidly than usual, and he seemed to be processing thousands of things at once. It was something L and Near could do, but Mello could never understand how they took into account so many various factors. Maybe that's why Near was better-suited for being L's successor. Why Mello would never be…no, he couldn't think like that. He had to keep striving to be number one, to be the best, and to beat Near once and for all.

But, even if he gave Near to the kidnapper…would that really be a victory?

Would it really feel like he won?

Or was it just a way of satisfying himself?

"If we are going to catch the perpetrator, I will need Mello's assistance," said Near, suddenly speaking up.

"MY assistance?" Mello asked, stunned.

"Yes. I will require Mello's assistance."

Mello was at a loss for words. He never thought he would see the day when NEAR, his number one rival, would actually degrade himself by asking for his assistance. What Mello didn't know, however, was that Near didn't consider asking Mello for help degrading in the least. Despite what Mello thought, Near didn't look down on him at all. The supposed hatred between the two was completely one-sided…Near actually like Mello. A lot. Maybe even more than liked. But, now was not the time to let personal feelings get in the way, as he had to focus on the task at hand.

"As we do not know who the perpetrator is, we will have to go on the assumption that it is somebody knowledgeable, or with powerful connections," said Near. "They were able to hack into Wammy's somehow; either that or they had somebody do it for them."

"Yeah, I guess so…but who would be able to do that?" Mello asked, munching on a chocolate bar he apparently pulled out of nowhere.

Near just gave him a look and began to talk to him slowly, treating him like a child.

"Now, if I happened to know, does Mello think I would have the time to explain it to him?"

Mello just shot him a nasty look and turned away, and suddenly, Near regretted saying that. Mello was his only hope left, and he needed his help in order to accomplish what needed to be done. So, Near quickly tried to abandon the subject.

"I have a plan…" he said quietly, a small smile growing on his face.

---A little while later---

Beyond was getting kind of angry. Despite all of the preparation and caution he had used while executing this plan, Near was still nowhere to be found. Fingering the tip of the butcher knife he had in his hand, he peeked around the corner of a nearby hall. Suddenly, a door at the far end of the hall cracked open, a small head of blonde looking both ways before stepping out of the room. B's eyes widened in delight as he saw his little dove follow soon after. Quickly checking their lifespans, he saw that Mihael wasn't meant to die for a few more years, and Nate wouldn't die for fifty or sixty more.

Snickering softly, he began to follow them down the corridors, inwardly laughing at how Mihael would nervously check behind them every few seconds. It was a few seconds later when Beyond noticed the perfect opportunity to strike. He had left a large scratch mark on the corner of a hallway, so even though Nate stopped to check and see what it was, Mihael continued walking around the corner. BB snuck up behind Nate, wrapping his arms around his thin torso and covering his mouth and nose with a cloth dipped in chloroform before his little dove had a chance to scream out for help. He tried to struggle halfheartedly, but he was physically weak, and he didn't last very long.

Laughing slightly louder this time, Beyond kissed Near's cheek before using his butcher's knife to make a small cut in his own finger, sloppily writing a large "BB" on the wall in blood. Leaving his jar of jam sitting at the foot of the graffiti, he gently scooped his dove into his arms and slouched off.

"Hey Near, you got any other ideas on who could be doin' this stuff?" asked Mello, turning around.

There was no Near.

"Near? Near?!" he whispered loudly, looking around in a panic.

Quickly running back around the corner, Mello's eyes widened as he saw the jar of jam and the bloody "BB" graffiti. Looking at the "BB" again, memories of a conversation he once had with L came flooding back.

"_Mello, I have something to tell you about the children that came before you as successors. Their names were A and B. A cracked under the pressure and committed suicide, but Beyond…he went insane and ran away from the orphanage. If you ever see someone by the name of B, BB, Beyond, or Beyond Birthday, I need you to take as many precautions as possible. He is dangerous, and you should use extreme caution when dealing with him. No matter what the situation, he is capable of almost anything, including murder."_

Mello slammed a fist up against the wall in anger, quickly running through the hallways, checking every possible room for a sign of Near or Beyond Birthday. Finally, when he dashed down the last hallway, panting from exhaustion, he saw a message on the wall.

'_Too late, Mihael, Nate is mine now~'_

"You FUCKER!" he screamed, slamming a fist into the wall.

He was angry not only because Beyond had Near, but also because Beyond must be able to watch and predict his every move. He would have only put this message on the last wall Mello was going to see. He knew that Mello would go down this hall last.

"What do you want with us?!" he screamed again. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Mihael…you shouldn't be so angry. Maybe you just need a nap," cackled the perpetrator's voice, suddenly clicking on over the intercom.

"How do you know our names?!" the fiery blonde yelled, just now realizing that Beyond had been using their real names this whole time.

"Mihael, shush. You wouldn't want to wake the sleeping baby," he whispered. "He looks so innocent when he sleeps…but I'll take it away."

"Take what away?! Where the fuck are you?!" he yelled again, looking around for a security camera or something Beyond could be observing him with.

"Don't worry, I'll be nice to sweet little Nate...I'll see you later, Mihael."

With that, the voice clicked off again. Mello simply let out a yell in anger, slamming his fist up against the wall again and taking off to look for Near.

---

Near woke up to the sound of a loud scream, his head throbbing and his body feeling sore all over. He discovered he was sitting on the floor of a dark room, his back leaning up against the wall and his head lolled forward so that his chin was resting against his chest. Trying to move his hands to rub his eyes, he found that they were bound behind his back with rough rope that was chafing the skin of his wrists.

"Hnn…" he moaned quietly, lifting his head up and discovering he had a gag, blindfold, and collar on as well.

Shaking his head to try and clear the grogginess, he tried to slip his hands out of the binds, but to no avail. He was definitely trapped. With a small chuckle, he could hear footsteps making their way closer to him. Squirming to try and move away, he opened his mouth to scream and discovered that the gag tasted strangely like alcohol. Suddenly, the blindfold was taken off, and he had to close his eyes tightly to try and block out the sudden flash of light that made his head want to split in two.

"Are you awake, my little dove?"

Opening his eyes, Near tried to cry out again. Standing in front of him was L. Shaking his head and trying to clear his eyesight a little, he realized that this man was not L…but he was almost an exact copy. The only difference was that this man seemed slightly younger and had blood-red eyes, instead of L's normal black ones. Not-L gently reached a hand forward and began to stroke Near's hair, making him shake slightly and try and back away, just hitting the wall.

"I'm not going to hurt you…you know, I never realized until now how much you look like him."

Near just wondered where this lunatic had come from, and what he wanted with him. Not-L reached forward and yanked on the chain that was connected to the collar around his neck, making him choke slightly and stand up. Putting the handle on his wrist, Not-L roughly tugged on it, making Near stumble over towards him. Pulling out a large butcher's knife, Not-L gently rested the blade against his throat, grinning a little.

"Now…Nate…if you don't listen…well, you can probably guess what's going to happen, right?"

With that, Not-L dragged the knife across his throat, not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to hurt. Smirking, he put the blindfold back on Near and led him somewhere, Near just stumbling along behind him. Only running into a wall or tripping once or twice, the small boy followed his captor to the best of his abilities.

Soon after they set out, they arrived in an elevator. Near could tell they were going down, and when the door open, Not-L yanked on the chain, making him step out in to the hallway. Not-L led him down many winding corridors until they arrived at a specific room, which Near was quickly yakned into. He could hear the door shut and lock behind him, and when Not-L took off his blindfold, he could see that they were in a tinted box that resided above the audience. Which meant it was pretty high up, as there were three levels to the seating.

As Beyond yanked on the collar's chain again, Near wished Mello would hurry up and help him.

---

Ooh, collars~

That was put in there purely for my enjoyment~ ;D

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and you won't have to wait long for another one. Anyway...do you think the rating should be changed to M? Cause of the collar, Mello's swearing, etc...Let me know in a review or something~

~FragilePuzzle


	4. In my eyes, all seems lost

Woowoowoowoowoo, next chapter! I am actually listening to the "Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack as I write this story, and if you haven't picked up on it, I'm trying to make a few references/similarities to it. Gosh, that has got to be my favorite story/movie/play/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, ever! Backyard Bottomslash picked up on the reference though, so kudos~

---

Near was roughly shoved to the ground of the tinted-window room, the blindfold having been taken off again. Beyond was muttering something under his breath as he tied Near's leash-handle to a pipe jutting out of the wall, making sure that the small boy couldn't go anywhere. Bending down and petting him like a child does a dog, Beyond's eyes searched Near's face, not really paying attention to anything else. Near however, was still struggling against the gag, trying to scream for help.

"Dove, if you promise not to scream, I'll take the gag off…" Beyond cooed, taking out his knife and continuing to pet him. "But if you scream, I'll slit your throat."

Near's eyes just widened with fear, and he nodded shakily. Beyond smiled eerily and undid the gag, smiling even wider as Near gasped for breath.

"What…what is it that you want with me?" he asked, his soft voice fluttering.

"You're mine. You belong to me," replied Beyond.

"I do n-not even know you…why is it you say I belong to you?"

"Aww, Lawli didn't tell you about me? I feel insulted!" he giggled, angrily stabbing the butcher's knife into the wall and pulling out a large chunk of plaster with it.

Near simply shivered, looking around and trying to find a way to escape. Even if he somehow managed to escape his bindings, his collar and the two exits were locked with three separate keys, both of which BB had in his pocket. He was trapped with no escape. Maybe…he could convince Beyond to let him go?

"Well, since Lawli didn't tell you about me, I'll have to tell you myself. I am Beyond Birthday, L's true successor."

Near's eyes widened as he remembered that name. A few years ago, he had been walking past L's office after he heard Mello get called in, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the two.

"_Mello, I have something to tell you about the children that came before you as successors. Their names were A and B. A cracked under the pressure and committed suicide, but Beyond…he went insane and ran away from the orphanage. If you ever see someone by the name of B, BB, Beyond, or Beyond Birthday, I need you to take as many precautions as possible. He is dangerous, and you should use extreme caution when dealing with him. No matter what the situation, he is capable of almost anything, including murder."_

"Beyond…Birthday?" asked Near. "I know who you are!"

Beyond's creepy smile only widened as he heard this, sticking his knife in the wall, only an inch or so above Near's head. Still smiling, Beyond tilted Near's head up, the collar choking him again.

"I…I…I think you deserve to beat L…" Near whispered, his voice being restricted by the collar. "You have to step on him…I know that you're better…"

"Ahh, you're such a good little dove! Don't worry, you'll like being with me." He chuckled, dragging his nails along Near's baby-soft cheek.

As Near winced and cried out in slight pain, Beyond slapped him, slamming his head up against the wall and causing a painful bruise to form.

"I told you not to make any noise!" he hissed, yanking the knife out of the wall.

Flinching, Near tried to curl up into a ball and make himself as small as possible. Beyond stood up and walked over to the TVs, looking at the security camera feed and deciding that it was time to go. He quickly took the padlock off of Near's collar and yanked him to his feet, dragging him out of the room without even bothering to put the gag or blindfold back on. However, Near knew that if he tried to cry out or escape, Beyond would probably end up killing him.

It was worth a try.

So, as soon as Beyond turned the corner, Nate quickly ran back the way they came, B dropping the leash in surprise. Screaming out as loud as he could, Near tried to find his way to Mello.

"Mello? Mello?! Please!! Mello!!!" he screamed, trying to free his hands from behind his back.

Beyond smirked slightly, chasing after his little dove, butcher knife in hand.

---

Mello was checking a room again when he heard loud screams of his name accompanied by footsteps thudding down the hall. Quickly making his way out of the room, he saw a tied-up Near stumbling down the long hallway, screaming and apparently running from somebody. However, not a second later, he saw L turn the corner.

Expect it wasn't L.

I couldn't be.

Not unless L had red eyes and had suddenly developed a habit of carrying a 16-inch butcher's knife around.

Mello began to run towards Near, but it was too late. Not-L, or who Mello assumed to be Beyond Birthday, grabbed on to the leash that was flying behind Near and pulled backwards as hard as he could. Near make a loud choking noise and reeled backwards a few paces, falling right into the kidnapper's arms. B smiled his maniacal grin and wrapped his arms around Near's thin torso, pressing the tip of the blade straight against his throat. For the first time in his life, Mello actually saw emotion on Near's face.

The emotion of absolute terror.

Immediately freezing up, neither Mello nor Near moved. Beyond just smirked again, running a hand up Near's side.

"Now, Mihael, let us go peacefully, or little Nate will get his blood spilled all over the floor."

Mello snarled, but still didn't move. What choice did he have? So, he had no choice but to watch B drag Near off somewhere, the small albino clumsily stumbling behind him, his face streaked with blood from the scratch marks on his cheek. He looked back one more, making eye contact with Mello and giving him an expression filled with hopelessness and need, but B quickly tugged him around the corner.

Not even thirty seconds after they had turned the corner, Mello gathered up his courage and followed them. However, when he peeked around the corner, he didn't see anybody. Racing through the halls, he kept going until he arrived at the front door. Throwing it open, he only saw a black van racing out of the parking lot. Both Near and Beyond were gone, and Mello would have bet a years worth of chocolate that they were both in it. Suddenly, he felt a large and meaty hand on his shoulder.

Turning around slowly, he came face-to-face with a group of large men. One of them had the explosive detonator in his hand, and they were all smirking.

"Da boss told us ta keep a special eye out for you, blondie. Now, howsabout we go back inside, eh?" said the man with the hand on Mello's shoulder.

"Let! Me! Go!" he struggled, trying to slip out of the grip of the large man that had just grabbed him by his hair.

Shaking his head, the man dragged him inside, the other men going to their positions in the building. Beefy-guy (as Mello had decided to call him) led Mello back to the performance hall, roughly shoving him inside and following him, locking the door behind the two of them. All of the hostages from Wammy's turned around looking worried, but Matt jumped out of his seat and ran over to Mello, throwing his arms around the blonde. Beefy-guy just herded them back over into the group with the rest.

"Okay, now, da boss said dat I can kill any of you little kids if you pisses me off, so don' piss me off if I was you."

Everybody only nodded.

"Now, we gonna go over da rules. You don' get outta doze seats, and you don' try any funny business. You try any funny business; an' I shoot you on da spot."

With that, the man pulled out a gun and aimed it spot in the middle of Linda's forehead, making the little girl shiver in fright. Smiling, beefy-guy pulled it away and shoved it down the front of his pants, making Matt grimace.

"What kind of dummy would stick a gun down his pants? I mean, what if it accidentally went off and blew off his—"

"Yeah, yeah, now's not the time. We gotta find a way to escape and rescue Near!" Mello whispered.

With that, Mello began brainstorming, forgetting all about the cellphone he had in his front pants pocket.

---

Are you enjoying? Leave me an encouraging review, and I'll update faster! Oh yeah, Matt doesn't believe in sticking your gun down the front of your pants. He prefers putting it in the back of the collar of your vest~

~FragilePuzzle


	5. Only a taste of what's to come

I'm cranking these out now, trying to get one or two a day. I'm MOTIVATED! However, I am also GROUNDED because my dad is an ASSHOLE, so don't expect updates that quickly.

---

Mello was sitting back in his memory-foam seat, trying to remember everything that happened that day, starting from when they first arrived. Feeling sleepy, as it was almost midnight, he leaned back in his chair and wracked his memory. However, upon arriving at the part where Near was in a collar, he felt a small buzzing feeling coming from the front of his pants. Shaking his head, he couldn't believe he was getting hot and bothered from picturing Near in a collar. Well…he could believe it, but now was not the time—

Putting his hand to his pocket, he realized it was his cell phone. He had left it on vibrate.

Shaking his head again, pulling it out discreetly, he saw that he had one missed call from…L? Why would L be calling him? Probably because they were hours late coming back from that ballet, but that was beside the point. He flipped it open, and it made a tiny beeping sound. Looking around, he realized that none of the idiot goons heard it, so he tried to send L a text message.

"Are captives of BB"

Quickly pressing send, he flipped the cell phone shut and slipped it under his leg, hoping that nobody had noticed him texting.

---

Back at Wammy's, L was sitting in his strange way, leaning against the back of the large plush chair he was residing in. Thousands of different possibilities of what could have happened to the children ran through his head, each one worse than the next. However, his cell phone rang just as he was picturing the five-thousand-three-hundred-and-twenty-fourth possible scenario. Seeing that he had a text, he flipped it open and opened it. It was from Mello.

"Are captives of BB"

L's eyes widened as he read this. BB…as in Beyond Birthday? THE Beyond Birthday of Wammy's house? L always knew he would strike back one day, but he never thought it would be like this! Standing up, L connected his phone to a small machine that was on his desk, plugging a cord into his computer. Chewing on his thumbnail as the machine traced the call; he could see that they were still in the performance hall. L sighed in relief, but quickly called Watari in.

"Watari, I am going to need your help. Beyond has taken the audience at the ballet captive, and we must retrieve the children at any cost."

"Beyond…Birthday?" the older man asked, a look of surprise and shock on his face.

"Yes. Beyond Birthday, BB, Backup, whatever name you might know him by. I do have a plan…" the detective started, chewing on his lower lip. "But I will need to get in direct contact with B. And, to find where B is, I will need to talk to Mello."

"Then I suppose we must find a way to get in contact with Mello."

---

Mello was sitting in his seat, nervously playing with the hem of his shirt when his cell phone began to vibrate. Somebody was trying to call him, and he was betting that it was L. However, if he tried to answer it, one of the goons would definitely notice. Even they weren't that stupid. So, elbowing Matt in the side, he tried to wake the sleeping redhead.

"Peach…Daisy…hey, not you too Rosalina…three against one isn't fair…h-hey, that tickles!" he giggled, slightly turning in his sleep.

Mello simply sighed exasperatedly and elbowed him again, much harder this time. Quickly shooting up, Matt smacked the blonde upside the head as an immediate defense.

"Dude, you're an ass! I was having the best dream EVER!" he complained, rolling over and trying to go back to sleep.

"Get up," hissed Mello. "I need your help."

Matt turned back around, looking at Mello with an expression of curiosity.

"We breaking out?" he asked.

"No. I need you to cover me while I try and call L back on my cell phone. He must have gotten the text I sent him."

"You know how to text?"

"Shut up."

Matt shut up.

So, Mello pretended to be laying his head against Matt's chest, acting like he was trying to fall asleep. However, before he rested his head down, he quickly speed-dialed L and set the phone between his ear and Matt's chest.

"_Bringgggg…bringggggg…bringgggg…_Hello?" asked a voice.

"It's Mello," the blonde quietly whispered, trying to move his mouth as little as possible.

"Is Beyond there with you?" L asked, quickly cutting to the chase.

"No, he took Near, and they—"

Mello was cut off by one of Beyond's buff guards, who standing at the end of the aisle they were seated in, yelling at them.

"Hey, you two a couple or sumfing?" he asked.

"Yeah, so why don't you just leave my…" Matt sighed. "BOYfriend alone, okay?"

"No, you twos gotta get separated or sumfing, cause da boss said dat you twos was suspicious or sumfing."

With that, he walked over the two of them and pulled Mello's head off of Matt's chest, making the cell phone fall blatantly obviously into Mello's lap.

"Is dat a CELL PHONE?"

"Umm…it actually a vibrator DISGUISED as cell phone, cause you're not…umm…allowed to have sex toys at the orphanage!" explained Matt.

Mello and L both facepalmed, L hearing the conversation through the still-on phone. Mello actually smacked himself in the face. Matt was third smartest at the orphanage, and he couldn't come up with a better lie that that? So, sighing, he handed the phone over to the guy, giving Matt a "god-how-can-you-be-such-an-idiot" look. Matt just shrugged.

---

"Beyond…?" Near's voice hoarsely cried out, echoing throughout his small cell.

When there was no answer, the small boy attempted to tug on the chain that was padlocked to a hook on the wall. However, tugging on it only pulled the collar around his neck tighter, so he quickly stopped. Looking around the room, he tries to think of an escape plan. He remembered that, as Beyond led him into a building that must have been quite large, as his footsteps and voice echoed off of the hard cement floor. After Beyond led him down a series of hallways, he had taken the blindfold off of him and led him into a jail-esque cell, chaining him to the wall.

With a small slap followed by an affectionate kiss on the cheek, Beyond had shut, but not locked, locked the cell door behind him as he exited the room. Near's cell had no windows or escape route other than the door, so that was the only way Near was going to escape. So, he decided he was going to have to break the chain that connected his neck to the wall.

Standing up and stepping back a few paces so the chain was taut, Near pulled as hard as possible, trying to pull the hook out of the wall. Letting out a choking noise, he continued to pull on it, the hook slowly but steadily coming out of the wall. With a loud "crack," the chain, lock, and hook came cracking out of the cement wall, making a dull thud on the floor. Beginning to stumble over to the door, he had to use all of his strength to heave the heavy cell door open. Then, with a loud and rusty "eeeeerrrrrkkkkkk," the door slid open, revealing there to be an empty corridor. He began to run down the cement hall, his feet making empty thuds. He could see smears of red on the wall, some that resembled jam, and some that resembled…blood.

Sneaking around as quietly as he possibly could, he was too tired to even think of the fact that Beyond probably had his warehouse carefully monitored. He didn't even notice as Beyond walked up behind him. As he walked down a hall, all he could see at the end was a large, cracked mirror. Even though his brain told him he should get out while the getting is good, something compelled him to walk down the hallway. His quiet tennis-shoed feet padding down the cement floor, he didn't even hear the extra set of footsteps behind him. Upon arriving at the halfway-shattered mirror, he saw a figure standing quietly behind him.

"Beyond…" he whispered, knowing that he should have just ran, and ran as fast as he could.

"You shouldn't have run, my little dove…did I give you permission to run?"

"N-no," he said quietly.

As much as he wanted to backtalk Beyond; to have some sort of power over the situation, he had learned a lot about Beyond Birthday on the car ride to his warehouse. One of those things was the fact that he liked obedience. You see, if Near were to disobey him, Beyond told him that he would be punished.

"No…"No" what?" hissed Beyond, bringing his mouth close to Near's ear.

Near only stared at their reflection in the cracked mirror. Beyond was running a hand up Near's arm, his ruby-red-stained lips lingering near the shell of Near's pale ear, surprisingly warm breath sending slight shivers up the smaller boy's spine.

"N-No…you did not give me permission to r-run," he said, refusing to say what Beyond really wanted to hear.

"Sing louder, little dove. WHO did not give you permission to run?"

"Y-you did not give me p-permission to r-run."

Beyond just flipped Near around so they were facing each other and slammed the smaller boy against the nearby wall.

"Dove, do you remember what we talked about? What am I to you?"

When Near didn't reply, Beyond merely tilted his chin up, raking his sharp nails down the tender flesh of his neck. Near let out a soft hiss as Beyond began to dig deeper, blood seeping out of the marks.

"Now…what do you call me?"

Near still didn't reply, refusing to give up what little power he had left. Beyond was just getting more and more peeved, so when he slipped a scalpel out of a case he had residing in his pocket, Near knew it could only mean bad news.

"What…do…you…call…me?" he whispered, quickly slicing a hole in the pure white cloth of the smaller boy's pajamas.

Beginning to gently trace the scalpel along the unblemished, snowy white skin of Near's stomach, Beyond decided to give Near one more chance before he made the cut.

"Are you going to say it?"

Near just shook his head, making Beyond let a smirk of hatred slip onto his face. Not breaking eye contact with Near, the elder of the two began to carve the shallow shape of a "B" into the tender skin of his stomach. Near only squeezed his eyes shut and let out cries of pain, not willing to give in just yet.

"Little dove…if you just say it, I'll stop."

Near did nothing but let out a louder cry of pain, his eyes tearing up from the burning sensation. Beyond just shrugged and jammed the scalpel in almost as far as it could go without puncturing any vital organs, twisting it 180 degrees and making Near scream in agony.

"Ahhhh! P-please, s-stop!" he cried, his voice hoarse.

"Say. It," Beyond demanded, twisting the scalpel 360 degrees this time.

"Master! Master didn't give me permission to run!!" he shrieked, his voice echoing off of the cement walls and floor.

"Better."

Beyond yanked the scalpel out, making Near gasp in pain, trying his hardest not to scream. Quickly falling to the floor, Near bent over and clutched his newfound wound, the dark red blood seeping out of it staining his white pajamas.

"You're so weak…so easily broken. You're not worthy of being L's successor," said Beyond, stroking Near's white curls before going off to get the medical supplies needed to nurse Near's wound.

That accusation hurt Near more than the deepest scratch marks Beyond could ever make.

---

Okay, I know I said there were going to be more Phantom references, but I am a failyface, and this story is changing completely from what I expected it to be. However, you should still totally review. Do you think I should change the rating now? I really want your guy's opinions!

~FragilePuzzle


	6. Dead, inside to out

M'kay ladies and gents, here's the next chapter! I hope you're enjoying it so far, and I urge you to make me a happy wannabe-author and leave me a nice review!

…

Please? Anyway, go listen to the song "Once Upon A December" if you are curious as to what the song Near is singing sounds like.

---

"A CELL PHONE? Who's you two talkin to?" the goon roared, picking up the cell and holding it to his ear. "Who is dis?"

"I am L," L said, having already flicked on the synthetic voice. "I must speak to Beyond."

"No ways. Da boss said not ta call 'im unless dere was an emergency."

"Tell him that L is calling, and I think he will accept it."

Sighing, the goon gestured for another man to throw him his cell phone, and he quickly dialed B, leaving Mello, Matt, and L on the edge of their seats.

---

Beyond came back a few minutes later, first-aid kit in hand. Near wondered why he would fix him up, but B probably didn't want him dying. Near knew that Beyond wouldn't have gone through all of the trouble he did if he was just going to kill him.

"Next time, dove, you shouldn't run away…Don't even think about it. You're going to stay here, with me, forever."

Near just let a few silent tears drip out of his eyes, his shoulders shaking slightly. He didn't even have it in him to wince as Beyond took off his ripped shirt and bandaged him up, pressing slightly too hard on the still-fresh wound. He just continued to breathe shallowly and cry softly, wishing for L, or Mello, or anyone for that matter. As soon as he finished, Beyond looked up, saw Near's hollow eyes, and recognized them as a reflection of his defeat.

"See, I was right. You're already broken, aren't you? You're too weak. If you give me time, I can teach you to be strong. Don't worry, dove, nobody will come and take you from me. Nobody likes you enough. They don't care if you're dead."

Near wanted to think that wasn't true, but he just couldn't bring himself to. It was true. None of the kids at the orphanage liked him…facing the facts, Near realized they probably despised him. They wouldn't risk their lives to rescue him if someone offered them twenty million dollars. Realizing that he was probably going to be trapped here until he died only made him cry a little more, still staring at nothing.

"Don't cry, dove. I'll teach you to be strong. You'll see. You won't need to feel needless emotions like sadness anymore."

Nodding, Near shuddered slightly as Beyond kissed his cheek, wiping away his tears. Clicking the collar around his neck, Beyond pulled him up gentler than usual, waiting for him to steady himself before walking back the way they came. However, this time, Beyond led him down a different corridor. Instead of leading him back to his cell, Beyond led him to what appeared to be his bedroom. There wasn't much difference in the room itself, but Beyond's bedroom had a plush bed in the middle, covered in blood-red sheets. There were half-empty strawberry jam jars scattered about the floor, but the thing most different about the room was one of the walls. It was plastered with pictures and articles, cut out from magazines and newspapers.

They all had one thing in common.

L.

Looking around, Near realized them to be articles printed about the many cases L had solved over the years, and even the occasional photo of a mangled body or an empty bank vault. Beyond had kept track of every case L had ever followed. Every single one.

"C'mon, little dove," said Beyond, pulling him over to a dark corner of the room.

Near choked slightly as Beyond latched him to the wall, padlocking the leash to another hook in the wall. Slapping him for making a noise, Beyond kissed the large red mark on his cheek a few seconds after he had made it.

"I don't trust you to be by yourself."

Near just huddled up into the fetal position, the wound on his stomach screaming. Beyond yanked his head up by his hair, exposing a scared face.

"D-don't…" he whispered, trying to back away from B.

"Don't what?"

"Don't hurt me…!" he cried softly, trying to back away.

Beyond just smiled evilly, crouching down so they were at the same level. Near had never been more scared in his life, and he didn't even know why. Perhaps it was a combination of the stress and threats Beyond had made, or maybe it was the fact he knew he was never going to be rescued.

"Are you scared, little dove? You know, I never would have had to hurt you if you just remembered your manners."

"I-I…" he whispered out, shielding his head with his arms again.

"What?" hissed Beyond, getting fed up with the whole situation. "Apologize, you worthless little brat!"

"I-I apologize…"

"Speak UP," Beyond commanded.

"I-I apologize…!" Near said, slightly louder this time.

"Say it, little dove. Say it or I'll make you scream it."

"I-I apologize…M-Master…"

"Good boy…" Beyond whispered, gently kissing him, slapping him, standing up and walking away.

As soon as Beyond had left the room, Near began to let silent tears slip from his eyes again, not being able to control them. That was another thing that scared him. He couldn't control his emotions anymore. Lifting his head up, he took a shaky breath and tried to calm himself, remembering what he used to do when he was younger. Closing his eyes, he quietly began to sing a lullaby that his mother used to sing him when he had a nightmare and couldn't fall back to sleep.

"_Long ago  
Glowing dim as an ember  
Things_﻿ _my heart used to know  
Once upon a December  
Someone holds me safe and warm  
Horses prance through a silver storm  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory  
Far away long ago  
Glowing dim as an ember  
Things my heart used to know  
Things it yearns to remember  
And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December"_

Finishing the song, he buried his head in his knees again, falling to sleep. His final thought was of Mello, and he wondered if the blonde was worried about him.

He was guessing not.

---

Beyond had just left his room when his cell phone began to vibrate. Locking the door behind him, he flipped it open and held it up to his ear, mocking the way he had seen L do it so many times back at the orphanage.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, dere's a call for you. I told dis guy dat you didn' wanna be bothered, but he said dat if I told you dat it was L, you'd wanna talk to him."

Beyond just broke out laughing, a genuine smile stretching across his face.

"Let me talk to him," he demanded.

The goon connected the phones so that B could talk to L directly, causing B to cackle as soon as he heard the voice distorter.

"Lawli! To what do I owe the pleasure of your voice?"

"I wish to…strike a deal with you. I will trade you myself for Near."

Beyond's jaw dropped. He was going to have the actual L?

"Straight to the point, as always…" Beyond said, smiling darkly. "Very well…it suits my purpose. I will meet you back at the theatre. I'm guessing you want to speak to Nate?"

"Yes."

Beyond slammed open the door again, seeing the small boy curled up in the fetal position over in the corner. Yanking his head up by his hair, he smacked him and held the phone to his ear.

"It's L…" he hissed. "He wants to talk to you."

Near raised his head, blinking sleepily. Whispering a soft "hello?" his eyes opened wide as he recognized L's voice.

"There," Beyond said, moving the phone back up to his own ear. "I will meet you there in sixty minutes."

"That is not possi—"

"Make it possible."

With that, Beyond hung up. Snapping his cell phone shut, he threw it across the room and quickly unlocked Near's leash, yanking him to his feet.

"You're pretty lucky, dove. L is trading himself for you…but he doesn't know I'm going to keep you both!" giggled B. "And you're not going to tell him..."

With that, Beyond grabbed a piece of cloth off a nearby shelf and stuffed it into Near's mouth, keeping it tightly closed with another thin strip he tied over his mouth. Smirking as Near struggled to say something, he led him back to the car, blindfolding him along the way. He was roughly thrown in the backseat, Beyond hopping back in with him. Telling the chauffeur to drive, Beyond laughed as Near tried to weakly scream muffled pleas through the gag.

"Shh, little dove, don't make so much noise…"

Arriving about two minutes early, Beyond led Near into the large building, tying his hands behind his back with a piece of rope left in the car. Now Near couldn't see, talk, or move his hands, not to mention he was forced to follow Beyond because of the collar. Normally, he would have been embarrassed at his lack of clothing and the bondage Beyond forced him to wear, but when Beyond led him into the performance hall, those were the last things on his mind.

---

Mello turned around as soon as he heard the doors slam open, as did most of the other orphans. The sight was very disturbing, to say the least.

Near was being led by Beyond Birthday, the ever-so-impatient killer yanking on the chain that was connected to the collar around the small boy's neck. Near's wrists were bound behind his back with some rope, and he had a gag and blindfold on. His normal pajama shirt was missing, and in its place was a large gauze pad placed over his lower abdomen. A small bit of blood was staining the bandages, and Near looked to be in terrible shape.

"N-Near!" Mello yelled.

Near turned his head to the side, even though he couldn't see anything, and tried to place the voice that had called out his name in a panic.

Mello's?

No, it couldn't be. The only time Mello ever called out Near's voice was when he was threatening to beat him up, or yelling at him. However, as he took the time to pause and try and place the voice, Beyond must have gotten impatient. Leaning over, he hissed at Near to hurry up, and yanked roughly on the chain. Stumbling and falling on to Beyond, Near was quickly backhanded.

"Learn to stand on your own two feet, dove," Beyond whispered, his voice sickeningly sweet.

"I-I apologize…" he whispered.

This couldn't have been the Near that Mello knew. No, the Near that Mello knew would have never surrendered so easily. He would have fought Beyond until he was FORCED to submit.

…Mello didn't even want to consider that's what had happened.

"You're not saying it right," Beyond whispered into Near's ear, slapping him again.

"I…I apologize…Master…" he said softly, wincing and preparing to be hit again.

"LET HIM G—"

Mello was quickly cut off by Matt, who smacked a hand over his mouth and pulled him back into his seat.

"Dude, shut UP!" he whispered.

"Tell Mihael that you love me, and want to stay with me…" Beyond whispered, so only Near could hear him or see his lips move, gently taking the gag off. "But if you scream or talk about what I'm going to do, I'll blow this place to the sky."

Near inwardly screamed, willing Mello to know he wasn't serious when he said this.

"Mello…" he began quietly, all of the other kids falling dead silent and Mello staring at him with wide eyes. "I love Master…I don't ever want to leave him."

Mello quickly ripped Matt's hand off of his mouth, trying to storm up to Near. However, one of B's bodyguards grabbed the blonde and yanked him back, preventing him from doing that.

"Convince him…" whispered B.

"WHAT ABOUT THE WAY HE TREATS YOU?! LOOK AT YOU NOW, HOW CAN YOU—"

"I like being treated like this…" Near whispered, feeling B smirk against his neck. "Master, will you take off the blindfold?"

Beyond gently took it off, revealing Near's normal emotionless eyes to Mello. The small boy said nothing, and his face revealed none of his thoughts or feelings. Turning his head back to Beyond, Near let himself be led to the front of the room and up on to the stage, he and Beyond going behind the thick curtain. However, just before Near and Beyond were completely backstage, Mello saw Beyond pull Near into a passionate kiss. Beyond seemed to look directly at Mello as he pulled away, smirking and backhanding Near so hard the small boy fell to his feet, letting out a small cry. Slapping him again, Beyond roughly pulled him back to his feet and let him completely backstage.

Mello just stared at the velvet curtain lifelessly, wondering if Near really meant what he said.

---

I don't own the song "Once Upon A December" which is the song lyrics Near was singing.

Anyway, I reallyreallyreally encourage you to leave a comment! Clicky-clicky on that little box right below this, and leave me a 5-word comment, if you have the time. Thank you readers, and I hope you're enjoying the story so far.

~FragilePuzzle


	7. Curtain call, you get the lights

Okay, we're almost to the end…c'mon, if you're reading, PLEASE leave a review! I really wanna know what you think of it~

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Mello just stared at the velvet curtain hollowly, wondering if Near had really meant what he said. If he did…why would that make Mello so sad? He hated Near, and he shouldn't care if that little twerp got kidnapped or declared his love for somebody besides himself, right?

…

…Why wasn't he agreeing with himself? Was it finally time to come to the sad realization that he had actually liked Near this whole time, and had been childishly covering it up by pretending to hate him? But that couldn't be possible! He…he despised that little brat and every fiber of his being, and he deserved to be mistreated by Beyond the whole rest of his life for making Mello feel like this! For making Mello think about him his every moment, both waking and sleeping! For making Mello dedicate his life to him, surpassing him, and finally getting that little white-haired bastard to notice him!

"Matt…" he whispered, having been sat back down in his seat. "I need your help."

Matt, being the loyal little dog he is, quickly nodded. However, before Mello had time to put his genius plan into action, he could hear the loud whirring of a helicopter coming from outside the giant building.

"L…" he whispered, quickly looking towards the door.

A few minutes later, he could hear the helicopter take off again, and a second after that, the doors to the performance hall opened. A figure clad in a baggy, white, long-sleeved T-shirt, loose blue jeans, and a pair of ratty old sneakers was standing there, holding a giant rainbow-colored lollipop in his hand. Beginning to walk down the main aisle like this was a funeral procession; Mello recognized his familiar slouch and messy black hair. He wanted nothing more than to run up to the detective and give him a hug, but he knew he couldn't. Now was not the time. Now was the time for drastic action.

Seizing the opportunity, he noticed that all of the idiotic guards were paying attention to L, so he slipped out of his seat. Of course, L noticed him, but continued to keep his head facing straight forward, and generally ignoring him. Mello just held a finger up to his lips as Matt noticed him as well, and continued to sneak over to the door. Deciding it might be a good idea to have a gun, he grabbed one from the holster resting on one of the goon's hips. The man didn't even notice as Mello sneaked out the door that lead back to the main hall.

The blonde sighed softly as he made it out without anybody noticing him, and he started to observe the gun as he began to plan and walk. He discovered that the gun was a semi-automatic handgun, probably a Glock G21. Gripping it in one hand, he made sure the magazine was loaded correctly and the safety was on, as he didn't want to accidentally shoot himself in the foot or something. Then, he thought up a risky and overall stupid and dangerous plan.

He couldn't wait to put it into action.

Smirking slightly, he confidently walked through the halls over to the stairway, a slight stride in his step. He was going to rescue both Near and L, and there was nothing Beyond could do about it. That bastard was going to pay for making Near to him lie like that.

---

"Good job, little dove," said B, leading him over to the middle of the stage, hidden from the audience by the red curtains. "You managed to convince Mihael you wanted to stay with me…you'll get rewarded for that."

Near just stared at the floor, his knees buckling slightly. Beyond noticed that the white-haired boy was still standing, so he kicked his legs out from underneath him, causing him to fall to the hard stage painfully. Letting out a loud cry as his knee hit the ground at a wrong angle and made a cracking noise, Beyond slapped him harder than he ever had before, causing him to fall completely to the floor.

"Shut up," he hissed. "I'm sick of hearing noise come from you."

"I a-apologize…" he whispered, sitting up slightly, his leg causing him more pain than he thought possible.

"From now on, you will ASK permission to do ANYthing," Beyond warned, slapping him again. "And you will address me as 'Master' at the end of every sentence. Do you understand?"

"Yes…"

"What did I just say?" Beyond asked dangerously, resting his foot on Near's hurt knee.

"Y-yes Master!" he quickly said, wincing from the pain of the added pressure on his knee.

"Better," said Beyond, smirking. "But too little too late."

Stepping down as hard as he could, Beyond caused Near's knee to crack loudly, making the smaller boy let out a soft shriek of pain that the whole audience could hear. Beyond just smirked and looked down at him. However, the killer's head snapped up in excitement as he heard the whirring of a helicopter outside. Grabbing the gag he had stuffed in his pocket a few minutes earlier, he shoved the cloth in Near's mouth and tied the long strip over the top. His eyes kept darting over to the side of the curtain with excitement, filled with the innocent glee of a small child.

"I'll get to keep little dove AND Lawli!" he kept repeating quietly and excitedly, finishing tying the blindfold around Near's head.

Near just shook silently, trying to move his leg. It wouldn't move at all. It was like he had lost all control over it, and he could only feel a pain that was both dull and throbbing, while also being sharp, sending sparks of pain throughout his body. Hoping that Mello would somehow know that he didn't really want to stay with Beyond, he wondered if the blonde would be able to put two and two together and realize this was a trap.

---

Mello had finally arrived on the top floor of the building, and the blonde was standing in front of a small door, knowing exactly what he was going to do. He slowly opened the door, which led to the intricate set of beams and thin walkways that rested over two hundred feet above the stage. Earlier, he had occupied himself by staring at the giant glass chandelier that rested above the stage, and trying to guess how heavy it was. With all of the gold and crystals that accentuated it, he was guessing that it must have been a couple hundred pounds…and it was going to save both Near's and L's life. He was sure that Watari wouldn't mind paying a couple million dollars to save their lives, right?

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he stepped on to the main walkway, his eyes snapping back open as it creaked under his weight. Not many people (meaning only Matt) knew, but the supposedly fearless Mello was deathly afraid of heights. Like, so badly afraid, he'd be good if he never had to look down a flight of stairs again. However, gripping the gun tightly in his hand, he stepped over the railing that separated the safe walkway from the beams that held the lights up. He could see Beyond and Near underneath him, and a few seconds later, L. Knowing he had to do this for the two of them, he stuck his arms out for balance and began to walk as fast as he could without falling.

He considered stopping right where he was and shooting the chandelier down, but on the off chance the bullet did hit the heavy-duty chain that was holding it up, he doubted that a single bullet would pack enough punch to rip through the metal and send the chandelier falling onto Beyond. So, taking another deep breath to calm himself, he made his way over to the chandelier. As he arrived right next to it, having not plummeted to his death, he let out a long sigh and began to try and figure out how he could get it to fall. It was only then when he realized he should just shoot Beyond dead right now.

So, making up his mind, grabbing the gun, and holding it steadily, he aimed it at the killer's head. He was going to shoot with the intent to kill. However, as he flicked the safety off and placed his finger over the trigger, his hands began to shake. He didn't want to have ever killed anybody…but it was for Near and L. So, making sure the barrel was aimed straight at his brain, Mello slowly pulled his finger in. His hands were shaking so badly; as he quickly dropped his arms to his sides, losing his courage, he instinctively let go of the gun. The small handgun fell to a walkway below him, making a slightly loud thunking noise.

"Shit!" he hissed, considering climbing down to reach it.

He knew he didn't have enough time to get it, so he turned his attention back to the chandelier. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He always kept a hairclip in his pocket in case he was going to play soccer with the other boys, so he could hold his hair back. Matt always teased him for it, but he was going to have the last laugh. Taking one last deep breath to calm his nerves, he leaned over and took the hairclip out of his pocket, beginning to work on the two large screws that were holding the chandelier up. After about twenty seconds, he got one out, knowing it would only take him twenty seconds more to get the other one. He waited until just the perfect moment, as soon as Beyond was standing right under the chandelier…and…

Screaming for Near and L to move, Mello wrenched the screw around one last time before the weight of the chandelier caused the rest of the screw to pop out. To Mello, it seemed as if the next few seconds passed by in slow motion.

---

L was walking towards Beyond, Near resting over by the back of the stage, when he heard a voice from up above the stage scream, "MOVE!" L quickly looked up and saw that it was Mello. He also saw that Mello had just loosened the screws on a chandelier that must have been a couple million dollars, and was probably two to three hundred pounds. Instinctively reacting, L ran back towards Near, grabbing on to the small boy's arm and yanking him away. The next few seconds went by in a flash. The chandelier fell on to the stage, letting out an ear-splitting crash and sending shards of glass fly every which way, a few hitting L and Near. Beyond let out a loud shriek as the impact from the chandelier sent him flying back on to the ground, and one of the many heavy arms landing and crushing his legs, leaving him completely trapped and unable to move.

Near, not being able to understand what was going on at all, just tried to struggle out of his bindings. Pulling a few shards of glass out of him, L turned on his radio he had been keeping in his pocket the whole time, and quickly paged the police that were waiting outside.

"Beyond," L said, trying to talk over the killer's shrieks of pain. "You have brought this upon yourself."

Beyond continued to shriek as the police stormed the building, struggling to get out from under the weight of the heavy chandelier and screaming all sorts of death threats, ranting about the end of the world. Near just continued to struggle, everybody seemingly forgetting about him. That is, until a pair of arms wrapped around him and took the blindfold off, revealing the scene to him. It was…Mello? The blonde then took off the gag; gently pulling a small piece of glass out of his cheek and making him wince.

"M-Mello…W-what happened?" he whispered, his mouth dry from the cloth.

Mello didn't respond, he just untied his thin wrists and signaled for the doctors that were on the scene to come over and examine him. They placed him on a stretcher and gave him a small shot, and that was the last thing he could remember before he slipped from consciousness. Mello walked with him back out to the ambulance that was waiting in the front of the building, the nice doctors letting him ride in the back with Near as they took him to the hospital. Smiling softly, Mello brushed a stray lock of hair out of the small boy's face as the ambulance took off.

Back at the performance hall, Beyond Birthday was arrested and charged for kidnapping, mental and physical abuse of a minor, an armed holdup, possession of illegal explosives, and the murder of two people.

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There is one more chapter after this one, just a short epilogue filled with MelloxNear fluffiness, so that should be out within a few more days. Review plz? Okay, I got a deal for you. The more reviews I get, the more I will push the limit to what could still be considered "T." SO REVIEW. Do it for the shouta fluff, kay?

~FragilePuzzle


	8. Happily ever after?

You guys gave me the reviews! You freaking ROCK! I went to the dentist right after I posted the new chapter, and by the time I got back, I had five reviews…you guys are too good to me. So anyways, here's your short chapter consisting of fluff~

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Near awoke in a white room, not knowing what happened or where he was. He tried to sit up, but was stopped by bandages and casts galore, not to mention many IVs leading into his veins. Blinking a few times as his eyes adjusted to the pure sunlight filtering through the room's blinds, he realized he must be in a hospital. He looked around, but the room was dead silent and relatively empty and generic, spare a small box that resided on the table next to his bed. Leaning over, his fingertips barely brushing it, he slowly inched it over towards him. There was a small tag on it, with a black Old-English text "M" on it. It had to have been from Mello.

Pulling off the ribbon that was wrapped around the box; he set it neatly next to him and proceeded to take the top off. Inside, there were two things. A small white stuffed rabbit and a bar of German chocolate.

"Mello is so self-obsessed sometimes…" Near whispered, picking the chocolate bar out of the box and examining it. "He knows I do not like sweets."

"I'm self-obsessed, huh?" said a voice coming from the doorway of the room.

Near looked up slowly, seeing Mello standing there. He was slightly embarrassed, but he didn't show it.

"Hello, Mello," he said quietly.

"What makes me so self-obsessed?" asked Mello, brushing off his "hello" and smirking slightly.

"Mello knows I do not like sweets," he repeated, twirling a strand of hair around his finger and wishing he could pull his broken leg to his chest.

"Are you sure? I think you'll like this kind," he said, walking over and sitting on the side of Near's bed.

"Why is that?"

Mello tore open the chocolate bar, the foil making a small crinkling noise as it ripped. He expertly snapped exactly a square off and held it up to Near's lips, expecting him to eat the melting chocolate. It reminded Near of the bus ride they took to see the ballet, which seemed like years ago, but in reality, was probably only a few days ago. Sighing softly, Near opened his mouth just enough for Mello to put the chocolate in. However, Mello only put the chocolate in halfway, gesturing for him to hold it in between his lips.

Near obediently held it in between his lips, clamping down on it slightly with his teeth and wondering what Mello was up to. The blonde just leaned towards him and took the other half in his mouth, his lips not quite touching Near's. The petite boy's eyes widened, and he considered pulling away and slapping Mello, but as soon as the blonde's lips moved forward touched his own…a small shiver ran all the way from his mouth to the pit of his stomach, making him decide not to move. Mello gently rested a hand on his bandaged cheek, making sure not to press down on the cut underneath and bringing their faces closer, then tilting his head and deepening the kiss. Near let his eyelids flutter shut as the blonde teased his lips open, beginning to pass the slowly-melting chocolate back and forth between their mouths. As soon as the chocolate was gone, Mello began to use his tongue instead, darting it in and out of Near's mouth playfully, teasing him.

As soon as Near began to get the hang of kissing, he clumsily touched his tongue to Mello's, sending a warm spark of pleasure shooting through his body. He lifted an arm, an IV coming loose, and touched his hand to Mello's cheek, drinking in the feeling of his skin through his fingertips. Moaning as the blonde began to massage their tongues together, Near winced slightly as Mello pushed him back on to the bed.

"W-what are--" he whispered quietly, being cut off by Mello's lips on his own.

Mello just ran his fingers through Near's soft curls, pulling Near's tongue into his mouth and beginning to suck on it lightly. As Near moaned, he removed his hand from Near's hair and teased the edge of his pajama top, feeling the soft skin of his stomach.

"M-Mello…" breathed Near, fisting Mello's soft blonde hair as Mello moved his lips to his neck and bit down.

Mello moved his mouth back up to Near's, licking his lips softly in between kisses, memorizing the flush that had spread itself across his normally emotionless face. Just as he had unbuttoned the last of the buttons on Near's baggy top, he could hear several people come into the room. Did he mention that they were both flushed, moaning each others names, Mello's hand on Near's exposed chest, and a trail of saliva connecting their mouths?

"Mello?" snorted a voice the blonde immediately recognized as Matt's.

"N-Near?" squeaked a voice that sounded a lot like Linda about to burst into tears.

There were a few more surprised shouts from other children that they could not recognize the voices of, a thoughtful "hmm" from Watari, a choking noise coming from Roger, and a tired sigh…from L?

"L?" both the children asked.

Mello quickly sat up, turning around and observing the large crowd of people that were now observing them. Near sat up as well, an obvious cross between an embarrassed blush and a lustful flush spread across his face. He pulled his pajama top shut, having to shove Mello's hand (which was still firmly planted on his chest) off and re-buttoned it, twirling his hair like some kind of nervous wreck.

"Mello, I will admit—" L was cut off by hysteric giggling coming from Matt.

Mello stood up hastily, a tomato-red flush spreading its way all the way up to the tips of his ears.

"I-I can e-explain!" he said, looking at Near for support.

However, everybody, including Near, just stared at him and waited for his "explanation."

"H-He was choking! A-and so I gave him CPR like we w-were taught…?" Mello said, his voice trailing off lamely towards the end.

"Mello is right," Matt said seriously, turning around and facing the large group of people standing in the doorway. "Because, after all, we all know that the instructions for CPR involve shoving your tongue in the other person's mouth, moaning their name, and groping their bare chest."

This caused everybody, even L, to go into small fits of giggles and laughter. Nodding all Zen-like, Matt turned around and grinned at Mello, shrugging his shoulders sympathetically. The blonde just clenched his fists, his blush turning darker that the human skin probably should, and went to leave. However, Near grabbed on to his shirt, pulling him back down on the bed before Mello had time to react and pull away like he normally would.

"Thank you for saving me," he whispered, cutting off Mello's protests with a deep kiss.

A small chorus of "Ooooh"s rang throughout the room, all of the children giggling and staring at the two of them like little voyeurs-in-training.

"Mmph! Mmph…! Mnnn…"

Mello's protests slowly melted into moans as he pushed Near back down on to the bed, forgetting all about the little "audience" they had. The children continued to giggle and stare until Roger forced them out of the room, leaving only L and Watari left.

"Mello—" L tried to interrupt.

The blonde just flipped the two older men the bird, L making a small offended noise upon seeing the obscene gesture, but leaving the room nonetheless.

"Now, Near…" Mello whispered, beginning to lick and nip lightly at Near's jaw. "Do you want to have some REAL fun?"

Near didn't say anything, but he leaned up slightly and captured Mello's lips in a slow and passionate kiss. The blonde took that to be a "yes."

"Mmm, good," he whispered, pulling away from the kiss.

Standing up and smirking, he strutted over to the door, shutting it and locking it behind them.

Everybody in the hospital thought it would be wisest to stay out of the way of room 273, as they could hear loud moans, soft screams and the shaking of the hospital bed. They didn't want to catch whatever THAT patient had.

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I completed another story! Holy shit do I feel accomplished. ;__; Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and putting up with me for this long~

And I know I didn't push "T" to the max…but you still got your shouta fluff, so don't kill me! *hides from angry fangirls*

Until next story-- love, peace, and yaoi!

~FragilePuzzle


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